The Hunt
by Kamenashi-JaeJoong
Summary: Slowly, carefully, she lifted herself until she was crouching, her eyes fixed, knowing when he would move, knowing when he would be aware she was there. Poising her fingers, she pounced - M just to be sure.


EXCITED EDIT!: Thank you all for the thousand hits! The author is the only one who sees how many hits their story gets and The Hunt is my highest ranking so far. Thanks a lot, guys! It's made my day. :DDDD

So, I'm excited to say I'm so far into the Avatar world, I might as well be blue too. I adore this movie. It was absolutely beautiful with fantastic character development and wonderful contrasts between the humans and the Na'vi.

EDIT: I went back and added and fixed things. Probably will do it again when I find the time.

AGAIN: Sorry for spamming everyone. I went again and fixed spelling and added more details.

DISCLAIMER: "Avatar" and all its recognizable characters are copyright James Cameron. Words are mine.

Neytiri crept through the underbrush on the tips of her fingers and the balls of her feet, her head low and her body light. Her eyes were trained ahead, her prey was not aware she was near.

She stopped in the grass, getting low to the ground without noise. Her tail swept sharply without a sound to find the balance she would need to pounce, the muscles in her legs tightening. Her eyes flicked, noticing the shallow dip in the land, the low hanging moss, things she would need to avoid for this to be successful. Slowly, carefully, she lifted herself until she was crouching, her eyes fixed, knowing when he would move, knowing when he would be aware she was there. Poising her fingers, she pounced -

- But Jake turned and caught her, falling to the green floor laughing loudly.

"How did you know I was there?" Neytiri laughed in Na'vi, wrestling lightly with him.

"When you make so much noise-" Jake replied and she made a face that clearly said she would not accept the joke. He laughed, taking her by her wrists and trying to pin her down, but she used her weight and his leverage to roll them over.

"Are you all right?" She asked in English. "You are not injured?"

"I'm fine." He touched her face and she smiled gently as she leaned into his warm palm. She marveled at how beautiful he was, his smile, his eyes. As Sky or as Omiticaya, he was beautiful.

She reached and ran her knuckles across his cheek, murmuring, "My Jhake." The yellow of his eyes softened to gold, he lowered his body to touch her inch for inch then touched his forehead to her's and closed his eyes. He breathed in deeply and let it out silently,

"I love you."

Though she had learned the language from Grace, she had never understood this sentence. Jake explained this fully to her a while ago. He told her that phrase was the most sacred words to his former race, but they had long ago over used it and so it meant nothing to any of them anymore.

"But here," he had said, "it means everything." She knew it was the same as her peoples' "Nga yawne lu oer," but he always said it in English, and it meant more to her in her own way. He didn't say it often and he had left everything else Sky behind, but every once in a while he would say it and every time Neytiri felt the words and knew they were true.

She fished for his braid and her own while Jake opened his eyes and waited for what she wanted to share. Merging their queues together, the indescribable bond binding Jake and Neytiri as one she shared her thoughts. She gave him her memories and how she felt when she was near him: she gave him memories of her pride for him, her happiness, and her love. She wanted to show him how beautiful she thought he was, that she would follow him wherever he led, and that what insecurities he had about himself did not matter. She watched his face flush slightly and she couldn't help but smile. And then when she was done and all she had to give was the content she felt at that very moment just sharing a moment with him.

He kissed her softly and as he did it he fed her memories of his, how swelled with pride he felt when she helped into the world the newest child of the People, how he loved the feel of her at his back when they made the rounds on his ikran, how when they got into fights the way her eyes flashed and almost made him forget what he was about to say, and especially the way her body felt when they mated, the sound of his name from her mouth, and the connection between them that made him feel the most fortunate male in all of Pandora. He pulled away enough for her to hide her blush in his neck but he wouldn't let her. Keeping his weight in his elbows, he took her face in his hands and said, "No, don't hide." He held his eyes to hers, showing her that he never said, thought, or did anything he didn't believe. They stared at each other a long moment, the connection deepening with passing seconds. Softly, gently, Jake said, "You are everything to me."

She saw the raw emotion in his face, the way his circulation shone brighter with the increase in pulse. With a shuddering outtake of breath, she nuzzled his cheek and wove her fingers in his hair. He moved his weight to his forearms and rolled them over again so she now lay on top of him. She laughed softly under her breath and rose to sit on his stomach, her weight in her knees. With their queues still merged, she felt the marvel he had for her and wondered what he saw when he looked at her. His hands traced her patterns on her thighs without looking away from her eyes. His stare was so intense, she looked down to his hands and not for the first time noticed the extra finger he had. He had explained to her that when his body had been made, it had been mixed with the Sky peoples' - what had he called it? - DNA and that was why he had an extra finger. She noticed when he was around the others that he would slightly bend that finger so that he was more like them, but Neytiri loved his hands. To her, that extra finger meant there was more he could hold in his hands.

Slowly, Jake sat up, making sure to keep Neytiri in his lap until he had both arms wrapped around her. She nuzzled his face again, leaving short kisses along the line of his jaw. When she went to give another, he turned his head and kissed her sweetly. She felt the warmth down her spine and the beauty behind her eyes. His hands splayed across her back and traveled up her sides until they touched the underside of her breasts. She shivered and so did he, her hands skimming his shoulders to trace the markings on the back of his neck. He pulled her closer to his body and gently bit her neck, enough to leave a mark that said she was his and he was hers. Neytiri groaned, arching her back, digging her nails into his.

"Swok sevin na'ring swira." He said hoarsely, tracing her hip bones with his fingers, going for the tie at the sides there -

A rustle made them freeze. Very slowly, Neytiri turned her head already searching the trees for the danger that had made the forest silent.

The palulukan crouched in the bushes, its jaws opening for its next meal.

"Jhake," Neytiri whispered. Jake already saw it and was slowly pushing Neytiri to her feet, she brought him up with her. He pushed her behind him, deciding whether they should run or fight.

"No, Jhake." Neytiri said, wrapping her fingers around his forearm. "Back away. Back away, now." He was still deciding. "Skxawng!" She hissed, keeping her eyes on the beast while she seperated their queus. She took his arm again and cautiously began to back away. "Za'u!"

The palulukan's growl was heard even from where they stood and it appeared to snap Jake out of his thoughts.

"Run!" Together they took off for the trees. The palulukan's scream was behind them as it burst from its hiding spot and after them. This was new terrain, not like the land from original Hometree and so it was harder to navigate. Harder, but not impossible. They hauled themselves into the trees and ran up the branches. In one easy move, Neytiri had jumped a higher branch, grabbed Jake's hands and threw into the opposite tree. The thudding of paws so dangerously close behind them stalled to decide which to go after.

"This way!" Neytiri screamed, pointing Jake towards the vines dangling many feet away. "This way!" The palulukan was making up the distance fast. It would have upset the balance if after the alliance of the Great Battle of Omiticaya, the animals of Pandora had continued said alliance, but that did not mean that Neytiri wanted her and her mate to never make it home. With the grace of her name, Neytiri wove her way through the vines, always looking for Jake to be at her side. And just like she'd hoped, the palulukan caught intself in the vines and tangled itself the more it struggled. Its scream of frustration echoed through the forest as Neytiri and Jake kept running. They were nearing the outskirts of the new Hometree when they finally slowed to a stop to catch their breath. "Are you okay?" Jake asked. Neytiri nodded. "Yes, yes. Are you?"

"Yeah."

Then they were laughing, the adrenaline still high in their systems. "I wasn't sure we were going to get out of there." Jake said, chuckling as he said it. Still laughing, Neytiri checked over her shoulder, noticing the purpling of the sky and the moons coming out. "Let us go in," she said, smiling and holding out her hand. "It is almost time for eating."

He laced his fingers through hers and quickly kissed her knuckles, grinning at her downcast eyes. "Embarrassed?"

Her head shot up. "Of course not!"

He grinned to show her he was teasing and led her to the opening. "You know," he said low enough for only her to hear, nodding to members of the tribe as they passed, "I, uh, I liked what was going on before we were interrupted." Neytiri bit back the smile that was pulling at her mouth.

"We need to be sure that the clan is taken care of." She reminded with a serious air. But her eyes slid sideways and she said nonchalantly, "The night will be clear and the moons will be bright."


End file.
